Harold "Stretch" Joseph
Harold Joseph, also known as Stretch, is a gangster and street hustler that belongs to the same gang as Franklin Clinton and Lamar Davis. Stretch originally seems friendly with the two but secretly betrayed them and aligns himself with their rival gang called the Ballas. Stretch is one of the two secondary antagonists in the video game Grand Theft Auto V. He was voiced by Hassan Iniko Johnson, who is possibly best known for portraying the ruthless cartel enforcer "Wee-Bey" in the HBO crime drama The Wire. Biography Harold Joseph joined the Chamberlain gangsters families at an early age. He eventually worked his way up through the ranks and became a respected "OG" within the family, also earning the nickname "Stretch". He also became friends with up and coming members Lamar Davis and Franklin Clinton, however Franklin developed an enmity with Stretch, presumably due to his reckless and selfish behavior. Lamar however looked up to Stretch from a young age. At an unknown point Stretch was sent to prison for an unknown crime that he presumably committed for the Chamberlain Families. During his incarceration, Stretch began associating with incarcerated members of the Ballas, the main rival to the Chamberlain Gangster Families. Eventually Stretch is released from prison, prompting Lamar to have a reunion for Stretch, Franklin and himself, by going to seemingly buy drugs off another gang member named D. However the deal turns out to be an ambush set up by their rivals, "The Ballas". The trio manage to shoot their way out and escape with their lives. It is later revealed that he was behind The Ballas' going after them as he became an associate during his incarceration. He later tells Lamar and Franklin to buy drugs from a gangster. However Trevor reveals that the drugs are fake and a gang is waiting to attack them. Franklin tells Lamar that Stretch set them up. Stretch eventually convinced Lamar to go off on his own to the Ballas hideout in Paleto Bay telling him that they were willing to sell drugs and would be a sort of peace making opportunity however this was really a trap for him and Lamar ended up being captured. However Franklin, with the help of Trevor, Michael, and Lester save Lamar. While taking Lamar home, Franklin tells him about how Stretch hooked up with the Ballas during prison and that he was the one setting them up. Stretch is eventually discovered to be a member of The Ballas as he betrayed The Families by joining with them during his prison time. Several times he secretly attempts to have Lamar and Franklin killed in ambushes, including having Lamar kidnapped and tortured by Ballas members, only to have these attempts foiled by Franklin and his two new partners in crime, Trevor Phillips and Michael De Santa. After this realization, both Lamar and Franklin officially cut their ties with Stretch and end their friendship with him. Ending After pulling of a major bank heist Franklin is approached by corrupt federal agent Steve Haines and depraved business tycoon Devin Weston, both asking Franklin to kill one of his new partners. If Franklin decides to go against both of them, he, Trevor, and Michael fight off all of the men sent to kill them and then decide to tie up all the loose ends around the city (the loose ends being Stretch, Haines, Weston and Triad leader Wei Cheng). Trevor decides it would be safest to eliminate Stretch since he is a danger to Franklin and by extension the rest of them. In order to avoid suspicion being put on Franklin, Michael decides to carry out the task since Stretch doesn't know him (Stretch found out about Trevor after the botched drug deal). Michael finds Stretch on a basketball court bragging to members of The Ballas of how he plans on killing Lamar and Franklin. After telling Stretch that he has a message from Franklin, Stretch realized that Michael is another one of Franklin's friends before Michael executes him in front of his new found gang, despite the attempts of his new friends to kill De Santa. If the Franklin chooses either of the other two options then afterwards he will receive a call from Lamar saying that he realized that Franklin was right about Stretch and will have to lay low for a while. It is confirmed that Option C is the canon choice, so Stretch is dead. Gallery Stretchgta5.png TheLongStretch-GTA5-StretchKillsD.png|Stretch about to kill D. Trivia *Stretch, alongside Wei Cheng and Massimo Torini, is one of the few Grand Theft Auto major antagonists to have just two appearances in their game. 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